Cordish Companies holds Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia grand opening

Cordish Companies has officially debuted its $700m Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, lauding a “new era of entertainment” to be delivered in the region.

The grand opening is further praised as “another major milestone” for the company as the next Live! branded casino to open in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, following Live! Casino Pittsburgh which opened in Hempfield Township in November 2020.

The 510,000 square-foot property features more than 2,100 slots and electronic table games, 150 live-action table games, dedicated 29 table poker room; 12-story, 208-room Live! Hotel, FanDuel sportsbook; variety of dining and entertainment options; six room event centre with 15,000-square-feet of customisable meeting space to accommodate groups of 12 to 1,000 guests; and convenient access to parking with an attached multi-level structured facility.

“As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks an incredibly special day for my family and The Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! Casino brand into the great city of Philadelphia,” said Reed Cordish, principal of The Cordish Companies

“Live! Philadelphia is the region’s premier gaming and entertainment destination, and we are proud to welcome our guests, team members and the community to go Live! with us. I’d like to thank Mayor Kenney, Councilmember Johnson, and local officials for their support for this project.”

The opening of the property comes amid a transformation of the Philadelphia Stadium District into an integrated sports, entertainment and casino-resort destination.

Projections by the company suggest that Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will generate over $2bn in economic stimulus to the city, along with $100m in tax revenues in its first five years of operation, including $25m to Philadelphia’s School District. 

Furthermore, the facility has created over 3,000 construction jobs during development and will create up to 2,000 permanent jobs for local and regional residents.

“The Cordish Companies has embraced a culture of giving and community service since its inception,” said Joe Billhimer, executive vice president of Cordish Gaming Group. “We’re proud to be able to give back to the communities where our projects are located and where our team members live and work. 

“Live! Philadelphia has long-term plans to support our local community and we’re thrilled to work with these and other amazing local organisations that make Philadelphia so special.” 

To prepare for the opening, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia has also developed a ‘Play It Safe’ plan, which is an enhanced health and sanitation program that allows for increased cleaning frequency, physical distancing, reduced occupancies, new technology and vigorous hygiene and health measures. 

“Our priority is to provide a safe environment for our team members and guests,” added Billhimer. “The Play It Safe plan employs extraordinary measures to meet and exceed the COVID-19 guidelines outlined by the State to ensure all of our guests have fun and feel safe.”